Zora gas field is owned by Dana Gas and located in the Shrajah Western Offshore Concession block off the coast of the Sharjah coastline at a water depth of 24m. The Sharjah Western block covers a total area of more than 1,000km².
The Zora project received regulatory approval in February 2013 and construction of the platform, plant and pipeline for the field was completed in 2015. It is the first gas exploration and production project of Dana Gas in the Gulf Co-operative Council (GCC).
Recommended White Papers
Recommended Buyers Guides
First gas from the field was achieved in January 2016. The average production from the field is expected to be 60 million cubic feet of gas a day (more than 10,000 barrels of oil equivalent), while the initial production is about 40 million cubic feet a day. The estimated investment on the project is $160m. Dana Gas received a $100m term loan for the project in September 2014. It invested approximately $150m in the project by December 2015.
Dana Gas has signed a series of agreements with the governments of Sharjah and Ajman in March 2008 for jointly developing the Zora field. The gas produced from the Zora field is supplied to Sharjah and Ajman, and supports gas-based local power production in the northern Emirates.
The offshore project was planned to be brought on stream by 2009 and 2010 but progressed at a slow pace due to delays in approvals.
Zora gas field discovery
The field was discovered in January 1979 with the drilling of the Sharjah-1 well. The well tested maximum flow rate of 14 million cubic feet of gas a day in the Thamama reservoir.
Drilling was performed for the Sharjah-2 well in 1999. The well tested a maximum flow rate of 40 million cubic feet of gas a day.
Zora gas field development details
Dana Gas signed a 25-year concession agreement for the Shrajah Western Offshore block, which includes the Zora field, with the Sharjah government in March 2008. The government of Sharjah holds a 50% working interest in the project, according to the agreement.
The project included horizontal drilling of the two wells, construction of an offshore pipeline, installation of a wellhead platform, and other exploration activities.
The wells were originally drilled by Crescent Petroleum. Dana Gas further drilled a 3,000ft horizontal section using a jack-up rig as part of the field development. Both the wells are extended horizontally and tied back to the wellhead platform. The fixed wellhead platform manages the production and processing of gas.
A 25km (15-mile) offshore pipeline was constructed to transport the gas from the platform to the shore. The gas is processed, distributed and marketed within the UAE.
Processing of the Zora field gas
The field produces gas via a single offshore platform connected to a new onshore processing plant to be built in Sharjah. The produced gas is transported through a 25km subsea pipeline to the onshore gas processing facility.
Contractors involved with the Zora gas field development
Anterserve subsidiary Adyard Abu Dhabi received a $17m contract from Dana Gas in November 2013 to provide fabrication services for the Zora offshore platform. Adyard also provided manufacture, erection, safety and security services, in addition to deck level support.
Silvertech was subcontracted by Adyard Abu Dhabi to provide a safe guarding system (SGS) and remote telemetry unit (RTU) for the Zora offshore platform, in February 2014.
NPCC was awarded a contract for engineering, procurement and commissioning (EPC) of offshore pipelines and installation of wellhead platform at the field in May 2014.
In October 2015, Gulf Navigation secured a contract to provide logistics, transportation, marine services, as well as passenger and crew handling services for the Zora project.
AIE received a contract from Dana Gas to design and establish an asset-wide integrity and maintenance management system to protect the Zora production facilities, in November 2015.
